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QUEENSLAND Greens lead Senate candidate Adam Stone has slammed the Federal Government for excessive funding cuts, during his campaign tour of the Sunshine Coast.

Mr Stone aimed most of his criticism at the government's decision to slash the Newstart allowance which affects more than 10,000 people in the Wide Bay region.

Mr Stone said Labor's decision to move 84,000 single parents across Queensland to the Newstart payment, which is below the poverty line, was taking a toll on Coast families.

Vowing to make the Newstart Allowance a key election issue in the wake of the budget's failure to adequately care for the poor, Mr Stone said the government had a lot to answer for by cutting payments to single parents who were already struggling.

"I believe the cuts have been made to essentially force these people into work," he said.

"These are people such as single mums who are trying to pursue university studies in the hope they can improve their employment prospects.

"We're talking about cuts of $120."

Mr Stone pointed to a recent Salvation Army study that showed families on Newstart were under more pressure than ever before with families unable to afford basic necessities such as their children's school activities, dental check-ups, books and uniforms.